31 March 2015

Couple of really exciting things tonight.

Everything Everything - Distant Past
I still don't know about these. The singles off the last album were good, but the rest of it, not so much. But this I kind of like despite myself. The new LP is Get To Heaven, out in June.

The Raveonettes - Kill!
To Denmark and last summer's album Pe'ahi from which singles are still coming from. Good stuff, that.

Therapy? - Still Hurts
A new album, their fourteenth studio LP, from these and it's back to basics. Having gone a bit conceptual in the interim, it's back to what made them great. Their best since Troublegum? Possibly. Disquiet came out last week.

Cover Version Corner
Depeche Mode/Johnny Marr - I Feel You
Johnny Marr rocked Holmfirth last Thursday and this is his new single which he played there. Before that, can it really be 22 years since Songs Of Faith And Devotion? Apparently so.

Drakkar Band - Bang Chhub Thveu Khos Hoeuy
No I won't try pronouncing the track title. And Google's Khmer to English translator isn't giving me anything. Anyway... The Drakkar Band were quite the thing in the early 1970s, fusing Western influences with the best of Khmer music to create something pretty special. Drakkar 74 was launched as a run of 20,000 cassettes which went quickly, prompting two further runs of 20,000 more. 1975 turned Cambodia upside down and part of the Khmer Rouge's cultural vandalism - though perhaps not their worst crime - accounted for most of those. Some remained, however, and a four-year project by Metal Postcards records saw it remastered from whatever they could find. It is an absolute wonder. The 12" was a run of 500 only, but you can get it as a digital release. I recommend that you do.

Crybabycry - Spin City
Bringing it back local now, the title track from the new EP of one of our favourites from round here.

East India Youth - Turn Away
William Doyle from Bournemouth is East India Youth and this is just lovely in so many respects. Culture Of Volume is out next week.

Lux Lisbon - Keep Me Wild
This four-piece met at Nottingham Uni and are now based out of that London. They sound a bit like the Killers, but if the Killers had ever followed an idea through to completion. There's some intelligent writing, musically and lyrically on the EP Get Some Scars which you can get as a free download now.

Kassassin Street - To Be Young
I don't know a lot about these other than they're from Portsmouth and named for a Portsmouth street. Oh, and that I like this a lot.

Du Dauphine - Thieves
Another track from the local five-piece's self-titled EP which is out now. Probably my favourite from it.

One Degree of Separation
Komputer - Valentina
Public Service Broadcasting - Valentina
Two different tellings of the tale of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space. A bit more literal from Komputer, off their 1997 album The World Of Tomorrow, and certainly more obviously Kraftwerk-influenced. PSB's new album is The Race For Space and it's a wonder. Fascinating period of modern history.

Bona Dish - Challenge
Maybe I should start a lost 45 section. This dates from the early '80s and can be found on a compilation called the Zaragoza Tapes: 1981-1982. They were from Hertfordshire and this track is probably still relevant now.

Motorama - Dispersed Energy
This could be Joy Division if you close your eyes tightly enough. But it's not post-industrial Manchester, it's modern-day Rostov-on-Don. Poverty is the new album which came out in January.

Leftfield - Universal Everything
New! And fantastic! Leftfield is a solo project these days, Neil Barnes going it alone without Paul Daley. A new album, Alternative Light Source, is due for release in June.

Here's all that on YouTube:



And Soundcloud:



See you next week.

24 March 2015

Let's get on with this eh.

The Retro Spankees - Here We Go
Here we go indeed. Seemed a decent enough idea to kick things off with. These are from Northampton and this is off Meagre Vengeance which came out last November.

Jacco Gardner - Find Yourself
We've played this chap from Hoorn in the Netherlands before, quite a while ago. His new album is Hypnophobia which is out in May and this is the first single. Almost prog in places and a bit grandiose, but none the worse for it.

Dick Diver - Tearing The Posters Down
This took a few listens before I really got it, but it does work. Quite a simple sound, but not in a bad way. They're from Melbourne - Australia not Lincolnshire - and the album is Melbourne, Florida.

Cover Version Corner
Siouxsie And The Banshees/Junks - Hong Kong Garden
I'm fairly sure there is tongue in cheek on that Junks version. I mean, the original, their debut single from 1978, carries that stereotyped leitmotif that tells you it's Oriental. Junks seem to have J-popped it up in an over-the-top fashion. Equally, I might be making this up. Anyway, Junks are from Hong Kong and that's their debut single.

Django Django - Reflections
The second track taken from their second album Born Under Saturn which is out in May. Can not wait.

Teleman - Strange Combinations
Following on from their acclaimed album Breakfast, it's a new track from these. Hopefully a foretaste of a new album.

The Lovely Eggs - Magic Onion
Husband and wife duo from Lancaster go all Jefferson Airplane on us in their new single, the first release from the new album This Is Our Nowhere which comes out in May. They're touring at the moment and are well worth checking out.

The Wave Pictures - Fire Alarm
Another track from the excellent album Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon, written and recorded in conjunction with Billy Childish. If this isn't in the top half-dozen albums of the year come December, we're in for some treats later in the year.

The Landseers - Wasted
New track from this cross-continental supergroup. Part Welsh, part whatever the collective term for people from Connecticut is. Available as a free download from their bandcamp page.

Du Dauphine - Lose My Soul
I've been after playing these a while and finally have my hands on something. Off their self-titled debut EP, these are local and have clearly spared nothing in terms of production values.

One Degree of Separation
TV Smith - Immortal Rich
The Hurriers - Truth And Justice
TV Smith, still got the hump with society a long time on from The Adverts. That's off the album Immortal Rich from 1995. Then The Hurriers, from Barnsley and off an EP also called Truth And Justice. The link is that both tracks feature on the Orgreave Justice compilation available from Philosophy Football. There are some great tracks on there from an impressive array of artists - some you know, some you won't. And it's for a good cause.

Bloodflower - People/Places
I don't know anything about these other than it's off an EP called Noise and I like it. Very retro.

Outside Your House - Photos Out There
Slacker rap? Is that a term? Whatever. Laid back stuff and I like it. They're from Durham and this is off the new EP The Ones That Left Town available as a pay-what-you-like download from their bandcamp page.

Transmission 13 - Jackson Pollock
And finally... We've played these before, again a long time ago. They're from Manchester, although augmented here by Canadian producer Antonio de Braga. This is off the album Vanishing Point.

Here's that on Youtube:



and Soundcloud:



Back next week with more treats for you, you lovely people.

10 March 2015

Hello again.

Drenge - Never Awake
Another track from the new album Undertow due in a month.

Flies On You - Hangdog
Another new album, Etcetera which came out last week. Played a few tracks off this before, but the LP has finally landed. Terrific stuff.

Mutiny On The Bounty - Mkl Jksn
To Luxembourg now and if you ever wondered what post-core or math-rock is, this is it. I still have no idea what those terms are supposed to mean. Anyway, this is ace and Digital Tropics is out in May.

Cover Version Corner
Ray Charles/Cowbell - Unchain My Heart
A samba feel to the 1962 original, but more bluesy from the London duo Cowbell who are Jack Sandham and Wednesday Lyle. Very nice.

Tellison - Tact Is Dead
New to me, Tellison have just signed to Alcopop! records. An album is coming, but this will whet many an appetite.

JOHN - Homme d'Affaires
Sensory overload from this duo of lads called John from their EP called John. More of this please.

Braids - Taste
Change of pace as we head to Calgary in Canada. Lovely stuff from the album Deep In The Iris which is out at the end of April.

Nai Harvest - Sick On My Heart
Another new album, Hairball, again due late April. Add these to the litany of bands from Sheffield.

The Baggios - Afro
No new album from these, I just like them. Another track from the 2013 album Sina. Well worth your time tracking down.

The Salient Braves - Out To Lunch
To Barnsley now, and a new EP from these lads with more of a hint of Wedding Present about them. Somewhere Sordid is out now and you can get it from their bandcamp page.

One Degree of Separation
Cutty Ranks - Limb By Limb (DJ SS remix)
The Divine Comedy - Songs Of Love
The unmistakeable and dulcet tones of Neil Hannon. You'll remember that as the theme tune to Father Ted. The Cutty Ranks track also features on the show. It's the tune Fr Fintan Stack is playing as he drills holes in the wall.

From Kid - Underground
Switzerland isn't known for it's musical output, really. There is some worth checking out though, including this pleasant little number. The album You Can Have All The Wonders is out now.

Moth Effect - Look Nicely
Here's something special. Moth Effect is a one-man outfit from Sussex and the album is Crocodilians and is out on March 30.

Applescal - Airports
And to wrap up, a new cut from Dutch producer Pascal Terstappen. The new album, For, is out in May and is virtually guaranteed to take us to new places in trance.

Here's that on Youtube:



and Soundcloud:


Not in next week. Back in a fortnight. See thee.

3 March 2015

You know what to expect by now. Also, I've waffled on too much today, so more tunes and less gab.

Arndales - Holiday Inns
Luton first. This is a superb take-down of the blandness of the mainstream off their EP Dog Hobbies USA which came out in January.

The Sherlocks - Escapade
Another band from Sheffield with a commercial sound, but enough about it to be diverting. They're two sets of brothers and this is their second single.

Nat Lyon - We Will Never Be
From his album 5-Meter Intervals which is available as a pay-what-you-like download from his bandcamp page (link above). This is the highlight from a pretty chilled-out album.

Cover Version Corner
Sex Pistols/Frazier Chorus - Anarchy In The UK
Well it doesn't much more different than that. Of course the first track doesn't need and introduction other than it let me say 'bollocks' on air legitimately. The Frazier Chorus version is on the B-side of the 12" of the 1987 single Sloppy Heart.

Drenge - We Can Do What We Want
They're back and with adding a bassist to the line-up have a fuller, more rounded sound. This is the first track off their second album, Undertow, which is out on April 6.

The Pop Group - Shadow Child
Off their first album in 35 years. Citizen Zombie came out two weeks ago and picks up where they left off - similar sound, same politics.

Boxed In - Foot Of The Hill
Last seen by me supporting Django Django. Their debut, self-titled album is pretty darn good.

Kindred Shins - As Is Tradition
Off their drip-fed new EP. This is really rather good.

Cowtown - Castle Grayscale
To Leeds now and something that came out at the end of January. Excellent.

Moonlandingz - Sweet Saturn Mine
What happens when two of my favourite bands - the Eccentronic Research Council and the Fat White Family - combine. The collaboration was almost inevitable when the ERC signed to the Fat White's label. Glad they did.

One Degree of Separation
Beth Jean Houghton - Dodecahedron
Du Blonde - Black Flag
Du Blonde is Beth Jeans Houghton. No more the folky psychedelia stuff that she did with the Hooves Of Destiny like in the former track. The change of direction more than warrants the change of identity and Black Flag is the new single with an album to follow. The former is off 2012's Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose.

Animal Daydream - Glass Ships
To Sweden now and some pop from slightly off the beaten track. These are from Gothenburg and the EP Easy Pleasures came out in January.

Ata Kak - Bome Nnwom
This is joyful. A record that just makes you think that everything isn't actually that bad. Ata Kak is from Ghana and this is off the album Obaa Sima which came out in 1994 as a cassette. The guys at Amazing Tapes From Africa gathered up as many cassettes as they could and remastered the whole thing from those and reissued it.

Guster - Long Night
And to finish, some laid-back pop from Boston, Massachusetts. The album Ever Motion. their seventh, came out mid-January.

Here's that on Youtube:



And Soundcloud:



Back next week. See you.